


Support Network

by KyoukaiKanata



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Epic Friendship, Feelings Realization, First Aid - Driver Style, First Kiss, Gen, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Paddock Family, Physical Effects Of Race Aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyoukaiKanata/pseuds/KyoukaiKanata
Summary: "Fuck."The minute he opened his eyes and felt it, he knew what they had been saying, what he had known would happen, was true. God he was out of practise. It had only been a few months,  a few races away from F1, but it couldn't stop the inevitability of the physical effects he could feel now.Moving ever so slightly on the bed he winced and groaned as the back of his neck throbbed and his right hand side, especially his right butt cheek, ached like he had just gone twenty rounds with Mike Tyson.Wonderful.Not.Or Nico struggles from the physical effects of returning to racing after several months away. Luckily his support network is there to help, along with a certain unexpected someone.
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71





	Support Network

**Author's Note:**

> So anon requested this a few months ago. **"If any inspo strikes, maybe some hurt/comfort ish about how Nico H felt physically after his first rounds in an f1 car for 2020? Got the urge to read something about it after seeing/hearing other drivers commenting on how he would be feeling it"**
> 
> I hope this is kind of what you wanted anon. I'm sorry it has taken so many months but I had total writers block as to how to finish this until very recently.
> 
> I wasn't sure if you wanted pairings in it or not but I am a giant sucker for Hulknussen so I kinda had to include them. This has become longer than I ever thought it would be but was a lot of fun to write.
> 
> For reference this is set after the last of Nico's three return races but prior to the Haas driver line up announcement. 
> 
> I hope you like this anon. Please let me know what you think guys 💙💙

"Fuck."

The minute he opened his eyes and felt it, he knew what they had been saying, what he had known would happen, was true. God he was out of practise. It had only been a few months, a few races away from F1, but it couldn't stop the inevitability of the physical effects he could feel now.

Moving ever so slightly on the bed he winced and groaned as the back of his neck throbbed and his right hand side, especially his right butt cheek, ached like he had just gone twenty rounds with Mike Tyson.

Wonderful.

Not.

At least Racing Point had been kind enough to let him keep the room until tomorrow. He wasn't sure if he had had to move and travel back today, whether he would physically be up for it. For all he had tried to keep his training regime intact, when you weren't racing as a job any more, somehow, some-thing's did automatically begin to end. And multiple hours of training a day was one of them.

But fuck did he regret that now.

It wasn't that he hadn't done any training at all. He just hadn't done enough and it showed.

Rolling over onto his side, Nico groaned into his pillow. The temptation to stay here and not move was high, unfortunately his bladder had a different idea.

Gritting his teeth, his hand clutched the side of the pillow as he heaved himself up. Every ache in his body seeming to increase tenfold as he staggered over to the bathroom.

Relieving himself quickly , he moved to the shower, gingerly turning on the warm water and standing in the spray for a long time, letting the water soak over him and ease his aching muscles.

It didn't work.

Showering normally eased the usual mild aches he sometimes felt after races, but it made no difference today. Sighing he winced again as a sharp spasm ran up his shoulder. Clearly a total rest day was going to be needed. And to be honest, a day in bed just resting didn't sound like a bad idea. The last few days had been a whirlwind. Some quiet time after that didn't seem like a bad thing.

He was halfway back to the bed when a sharp knock came at the door.

Groaning Nico continued and flopped face down onto the bed, burying his head in his hands. At this point, he was past caring who saw him like this, and they certainly could let themselves in.

"It's open," he shouted.

The door opened and he heard soft footsteps over the carpet. A hand rested on his shoulder and he glanced up, but the gaze that met his wasn't who had been expecting. He had thought maybe Max or Dan would have been the one's to come and see him, but the intense blue orbs that shone down from above him were not either.

But he knew them, he knew them probably better than even their occupier realised. He could recognise them anywhere.

"Kevin?"

Nico frowned, puzzled, "Why are you here?"

There was no answer and Nico blinked confused as Kevin ignored him, shrugged a backpack of his shoulder and took out a bottle of water, some painkillers and a couple of hot water bottles, placing them next to Nico on the bed.

"I thought you might need them after yesterday. It'll help," Kevin said quietly as Nico turned over on his side to face him fully.

"I don’t understand?” Nico frowned, sitting up and taking the hot water bottle Kevin silently handed him, “Why are you here Kevin?"

A light flush appeared over the Dane's cheek's at the question, "Why are you helping me?"

"I-"

A sudden crash and bang as Nico's door flew open loudly, almost falling of it's hinges at the sheer force behind it, made them both jump as two figures moved through the door.

"Rise and shine Hulky!" came the familiar Aussie accent as Daniel practically bounced into the room, almost hitting Max in the face with the door as it swung closed behind him.

"Yeah get up you lazy arse, I need some form of sane conversation in Dutch and you're my only hope mate. No one speaks Dutch except you and Stoffel, and even Stoff's not around that much despite being Merc's reserve."

"Maxy, I'm sane," Dan whined at his former teammate, "And I can speak Dutch."

"Yeah right, tell me two words in Dutch Dan," Max scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Um, give me a minute?" Dan chuckled, laughing as Max moved forwards, thumping Dan on the arm in retaliation playfully, before grumblingly as Dan tugged him against him and kissed him quickly. Pulling back with a final kiss, Max rolling his eyes at Dan's ever present cheesy grin, they both looked up at the same time, stopping dead at the sight in front of them. The door silently shutting behind them.

"Hulk?"

"Kevin?"

It was only then, at the clear confusion visible on their faces that Nico realised. He was shirtless, half sitting up resting on his side with Kevin's hand on his shoulder.

Kevin.

And not just any Kevin.

The Kevin Magnussen himself.

Nico's sworn enemy.

The fiery Dane that he and everyone else, had always thought he despised. The most anti-social-able driver on the entire grid. The man who had once told him to 'suck my balls honey'.

Fuck.

Shoving himself up, Nico slapped Kevin's hand of his shoulder, wincing at the sharp movement that pulled on his already distressed muscles.

He could do this.

He could ignore everything his body was trying to throw at him to spend the time with two of his closest friends.

Right?

"Geez I leave and come back for three races and you can't get enough of me already," Nico grinned, standing up and brushing past Kevin as he moved to clap Dan and Max on the shoulder.

"Gotta make the most of it mate, you coming?" Max asked.

"Or are you a little busy?" Dan laughed, winking and nodding at the silent Kevin behind him.

Nico turned and shook his head, "Of course I'm not busy, let's go."

Leading them out and grabbing a t-shirt and his phone and wallet, he looked back and with one last glance at Kevin still quietly watching him from the bedside, closed the door.

He would get over it.

It's not like they meant something to each other.

Hell he hadn't even asked Kevin to come.

It didn't mean anything anyway.

Right?

As the door shut, Kevin huffed softly and shook his head, grabbing his stuff he shoved it back in the rucksack and walked to the door, letting it bang behind him. Only silence remained.

******************************

"So what was all that about?" Max asked as they headed down the corridor, pausing momentarily as Nico pulled his t-shirt over his head and stuffed his phone and wallet into his jeans.

"What exactly?"

"Don't 'what exactly' us mate," Dan grinned, "This is Kevin we're talking about."

"Precisely," Max nodded, "Like why was he even with you? You guys hate each other."

"Does it matter," Nico shrugged, trying to keep his face schooled as he followed them down the stairs and felt his back and legs muscles cramp painfully.

"Of course it matters," Max laughed, "You two hate each other, what on earth was he doing in your room."

"Having a bit of fun maybe," Dan teased, winking.

“Don’t be daft, nothing’s going on between us.”

“Sure,” Max said rolling his eyes and sniggering as Nico shoved him playfully as they reached the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the hotel entrance.

“Positive you bastards!”

As Dan and Max continued to laugh, Nico just groaned and rubbed his temples.

They would see.

There was nothing going on after all.

There never been.

And, even if he wanted to, there never would be.

*****************************************

He wished he could say he was drunk. He honestly could. It would at least explain why not only he was stumbling down the corridor, he was also stumbling down the corridor of the Haas reserved hotel section. If anyone saw him, he would never hear the end of it.

Reaching the right door, he knocked quickly, glancing up and down. No one appeared, and when the door opened, he pushed past the occupant and shut the door securely behind them.

"What you are doing here Nico?"

The sharp tone that followed wasn't entirely unexpected. To be honest, even though they weren’t exactly friends, he knew he deserved it after practically abandoning the man in his hotel room earlier.

"I'm-urgh!" Nico gasped as his neck and back spasmed painfully again and his breathe caught in throat. Stumbling he would have fallen, but for the smaller man tucking himself underneath him and guiding him over to the bed.

"Lay down you idiot," Kevin grumbled before grabbing a cloth and marching towards the bedroom.

"And you think I'm the pig headed stupid one."

Rolling his eyes, Kevin walked back out of the bathroom and stopped at front of the bed.

"Get you're shirt of moron. I can't help you with that in the way can I."

"Not - sure - you're - helping - anyway," Nico gasped as he sat back up to pull his shirt off and felt his muscles protest and scream at the moment.

Flopping back down with a groan, Kevin made his move, placing the cold wet cloth over his back.

"Ah, fuck, shit!" Nico snarled as the cold touched his skin and his muscles cramped painfully for a moment.

"Well it wasn't going to be painless was it. The cold will take the inflammation down, you don’t want heat for this now or it will just make it worse."

Kevin shrugged, perching on the side of the bed next to him.

"It's your own fault for being an idiot earlier. Have you even done any training this year?"

Kevin rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He'd genuinely meant it as a joke, but below him Nico froze, and he knew then perhaps he had crossed a line.

Kevin yelped as Nico suddenly jerked up, grabbing him and twisting him underneath him. Nico crouched over him, held himself up on his arms above him and glared down, the cloth sliding of his shoulder and onto the mattress next to them, "Do you think this is funny?! To see how far I've fallen compared to you right? You kept your seat and I lost mine but that it's my fault for being lazy. For not working hard enough. For being incompetent at never getting a podium right?" Nico snarled, blue orbs clearly furious.

For a moment Kevin intended to snap back, to shove Nico off him and demand to know just what the fuck he thought he was doing, especially when HE was the one who had come to him for help when he could have gone to anyone.

This was Nico after all, it wasn’t like he was short of friends.

This was the man who had caused an excited uproar in the paddock when he had returned again.

This was the man he had watched leave the hotel room earlier with Max and Dan, but get accosted in the lobby before he had even left the hotel by Checo and Seb both fussing over him. Charles and Pierre greeting him with a pat on the back and a sideways hug. Lando and Carlos throwing their arms around him in a joint one.

Hell even Kimi had come over to see him, Antonio shyly greeting him at his side. And Kimi never usually came to see anyone who wasn’t Seb, Antonio or Charles.

This was the man who had managed to bring a group of drivers who spent most the year grumbling about the race actions of each other, into a united cause. Giving their former driver and friend the encouragement and support he had deserved in all three of the races he had returned to.

He would never admit it to him, but he had smiled a little, leaning against the balcony at the top of the stairs, at the sight of Nico being fussed over by multiple different drivers. They had history, but secretly there was no one Kevin believed deserved it more.

But he wasn’t sure Nico knew that when he saw the look in Nico's eyes now glaring down at him. When he really looked behind the anger and the insult, and saw the flicker beneath. The flicker of pain.

Of sadness.

Of longing.

And he felt his own reaction soften, the hand that he had raised to press Nico away, rested lightly on his chest instead, and his fingers quietly traced over to his heart. Carefully, his own orbs watching, sensing Nico's every move, feeling the muscles instinctively twitch beneath him, he rested his hand flat over Nico's heart and looked up.

“No I don’t,” he murmured, “I never have done.”

Nico’s eyes widened, as Kevin continued pressing his hand over his heart and pushing slightly, Nico sat back on his heels as Kevin sat up.

Dropping his hand from Nico’s chest, Kevin sighed quietly and met Nico’s bewildered gaze.

“In case you’ve forgotten I had a year out to-”

Nico flinched, he had forgotten.

Shaking his head and running a hand through his Kevin shuffled out from underneath him and stood up, “And you’ll be back next year I’m sure of it, and when you do your support network will be there to.”

For a moment there was silence, “Will you,” Nico murmured glancing up.

“I don’t know,” Kevin shrugged his shoulders, and sat on edge of the bed with a deep sigh, “You forget you’re coming back, but I’m leaving Nico. There’s no team left here for me now.”

Wincing Nico turned and rested his side into Kevin’s, “I wish you weren’t.”

Kevin huffed and shrugged again, “Can’t do much about it. Haas haven’t officially announced it yet, but they’ve already said.”

There was silence for a moment, highly unusual for the both of them, and Nico took the time to study the Dane in front of him, reaching his hand across and brushing some streaks of hair away from his face before he had even really thought about it. Meeting Kevin’s startled gaze calmly as he looked up in shock. The lines on his forehead deepening as he frowned, confused.

Nico felt himself soften at the sight, now that he was actually taking the time to look at him properly. The light blond strands slicked back in his famous style, the lines on his forehead seemingly getting deeper every year. Those crystal blue orbs, always sharp with an inner fire that he wore well.

This was Kevin.

His sworn enemy.

Only they weren’t fighting. At least not much.

And it was good.

Truthfully he didn’t want to keep having the same battles over and over again.

He wasn’t sure he ever had.

And, despite the pain building again between his shoulders, as Kevin stood up again and placed the cloth back over his shoulders, Nico shifted. Curling his hand around the back of his neck and pulling Kevin down into a soft featherlight kiss. Letting a gentle noise of contentment escape him as they pulled apart after a few minutes.

Ice blue met ocean as Kevin shifted and moved to straddle his legs carefully, leaning forward to met his lips again and Nico hummed quietly in pleasure, reaching up and stroking the back of Kevin's neck soothingly.

Secretly, he could admit something.

He had incredible support, but if he had to choose one person in the paddock to be with, it would be with Kevin.

It would always be with Kevin.

It probably always had been Kevin.

His greatest support network of all.

**Author's Note:**

> As always kudos and comments are greatly appreciated 💙💙
> 
> Feel free to come and talk to me on Tumblr at kyoukai-kanata (http://kyoukai-kanata.tumblr.com)


End file.
